Injector.



No. 884,625. PATBNTBD APR. 14, 1908.

w. H. STIRLING.

I NJECTOR.

APPLIonIoN FILED :Ulu: a. 19o?.

UNITED sri-iras Parana ornron WILLIAM HENRY STIRLING, OF ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO HARRYA INJECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed June 3, 1907. Serial No. 377,025.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY STIR- LING, of the city and county of St. John, Province of New Brunswick, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Injectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in injectors, and theobjects of my invention are to simplify the construction of the injector and so arrange the parts that the turning of the handle of the main valve stem shall cause all the operation of the several parts to act in proper sequence, whereby the valve may be operated by a single motion, to provide Ineans whereby the overliow valve will close ,automatically under steam pressure, and be retained in position by suitable means, to provide means by which the heating of the injector may be carried out without any interfering with the work thereof and in which breaking o' of the feed current, due to leakage, through the overflow valves, Inay .be prevented 5 further .objects being to render the device of such a character that it may not be easily tampered with to break the continuity of the feeding current and to provide means whereby the heating of the injector may be carried out independently and without interfering with the operation thereof.

The difliculty experienced with the present type of Hancock and other injectors of similar construction is that a leak in the lifting overflow valve, when the forcing overflow valve is closed, will allow the steam of the boiler, at boiler ressure, to back up against the suction nozz e and pass out therethrough against the incoming steam or water, which will cause the injector to stop working. This backing up is termed breaking and is a great source of annoyance in the operation of injectors, since when it occurs, it is necessary to send the injector to the repair shop to have the valve repaired. Afurther trouble caused by this leakage is that the injector is heated unduly which prevents successful operation.

In the improvement I have devised, both the lifting and forcing overflow discharge valves open into a common discharge chainber and are held closed by the steam or water at boiler pressure. Thus the steam leaking through either valve will pass directly to the overiiow discharge and under pressure can not go back through the suction nozzle. Further, the pressure operating to close the valves very greatly reduces the possibility of leakage.

A further advantage is attained by operating both the valves by a single stem, which is connected to the spindle of the main operating valve, whereby the whole operation of the injector may be carried out by the operation of the one handle.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated and described in the accompanying specification and drawings and the features of novelty are specifically set forth in the accompanying claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of an injector embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line 2 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section through the overflow valves. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the stem of the overflow valves.

A is the main body or casing of the injector of any suitable form to properly inclose and hold the working parts. IVithin the casing are located the lifting steam inlet nozzle B, the lifting combining tube C, the forcing steam inlet nozzle D, the forcing combining tube E, the overflow chamber F, the overflow discharge pipe G, the steam inlet tube H and the water supply pipe I, all of which are of well known construction.

J is the steam inlet chamber having the main steam port a in the side wall b thereof, the passage of steam through the port being controlled by the Inain valve K, the spindle c of which extends through a suitable packing box d and is operated by means of a handle e at its extremity.

The port a opens into a communicating chamber j', which has a port i in one side thereof controlled by a valve 7L and has also the lifting steam inlet nozzle B extending through the lower portion of the wall of the chamber. The valve 7iy is, as usual, connected to the Inain stem c, the connection being such that the valve K will open a short distance before the valve 7L is moved. This, in the embodi- Inent illustrated, is accomplished by forming the stem m of the valve 7L with an enlarged head n, which is held in a recess o in the valve K by means of the nut r, the recess being of such a depth that sufficient play of the vend will be permitted `to enable the valve K to open a short distance first.

The flow of steam through the liftinginlet nozzle B is controlled by the valve L having an operating stem and handle p, extending through a suitable stuffing box g, in the side of the casing.

M is the combining chamber from which the combining nozzle E leads into the overflow chamber F, which is connected to a conducting pipe N leading to the boiler through the medium of a suitable check valve O. Communicating respectively, with the combining chamber M and the overflow chamber F are the lifting overflow discharge port s and the forcing overflow discharge port t, the ports being normally controlled by disk valves P and Q on the inside thereof", and which are normally kept closed by the steam ressure and are operated by the means herelnafter described.

The ports s and t open into a common discharge chamber S, which is placed in communication with the overflow discharge pipe G, by means of a suitable conduit a. Extending through this chamber and suitably journaled in the end walls o and w thereof is a valve stem T, the outer end of which has pivoted thereto a link having a bifurcated end y extending around'the main valve spindle c, and held in engagement therewith by pins z extending through the bifurcated ends, and a plug 5 inserted between them. The end y is fixed longitudinally with respect to the spindle by means of two collars 6 and 7 adjustably secured to the spindle as by the set screws 8 and 9.

Within the chamber S, the valve stem T is provided with two inclined portions 10 and 11, which extend through slots in guideways 12, 13, 14 and 15. Thesev inclined portions are inclosed by connecting members 16 and 17 which have rods 1S and 19, the opposite ends of which are hinged at 20 and 21 to the disk valves P and Q, the hinged connection allowing the valves to lie flat on their seats.

Provision is made for access to the outside of the valves by means of plugs 22 and 23 extending through the sides of the casing.

It will be observed that, the chamber S h as communication only with the inner working chamber through the overflow discharge ports and consequently when these ports are closed there is no pressure in the chamber S, and therefore, no pressure on the stem T or on the packing box about the same. This is a considerable advantage in preventing leakage and simplifying the packing. ln other types of injectors in which the valve stem is to be packed against atmospheric pressure, leakage occurring would interfere with the operation of the injector and produce what is known as a break.

To enable the heating of the injector to be carried out without interfering with the operation thereof, I provide an auxiliary port 24 in the lower part of the wall of the cham- -ber J, the said port being normally closed by a suitable valve U operable from the exterior of the casing.

Having now described my injector, l will briefly point out the method of operation of the same.

When it is desired to start the injector, the valve L controlling the lifting inlet nozzle is first opened, and then the handle e is turned which opens the valve K and allows the steam to pass into the chamber j' and through the lifting inlet nozzle B and into the lifting combining tube C, the valve 7i in this case,

Lnot having yet been opened.

From the combining tube C the steam goes into the chamber M through the port s (which will be held open by the stern T being in its innermost position) into the common chamber S and out the overfiow discharge conduit G. The current of steam having once been started will drive the air out of the interior of the casing, and so will elevate the water through the intake pipe l. As soon as the water appears at the overflow discharge the operating handle is turned further, which will open the valve 7L and allow a portion of the steam to pass through the ort i and through the forcing inlet nozzle into the forcing combining tube E and out the port t into the overflow discharge. After this has established the current of water through the combining tube E, the handle is still further turned, bringing it to its outermost osition, and thus closing both the overflow c ischarge valves, through the medium of the link and stem T, and this causes the mixture of water and steam made in the combining tube E to ass through the check valve o into the pipe N leading to the boiler.

Owing to the fact that both of the overflow discharge portsare simultaneously and positively opened and that a common overflow discharge conduit is used, the passage of the liftin overflow discharge through this conduit wil create a suctionthrough the forcing overflow discharge port and so facilitate the discharge through the same. In shutting off the overflow discharge both the valves are actuated positively and independently of the steam or water pressure, thereby preventing leakage of the steam or water and preventing chattering and wear on the valves.

lt will be observed that the movement of the handle is to be made sufficiently slow to enable a current of water to be established through the forcing combining tube E before the overflow valves are entirely closed.

To shut off the injector, the handle is turned until the spindle is in its innermost position closing the valve J and shutting off the supply of steam.

If it is desired, in cold weather, to heat the feed water, the set-screws 8 and 9 are first loosened, allowing the end of the link to ride freely on the spindle c; then the main stem valve f is closed the link a; is drawn forward, positively closing both overflow valves and the heater valve U opened, which will allow the steam to pass through the port 24 and lifting nozzle B into the intake pipe l, and through there into the feed water. The overflow valves being closed vunder the steam pressure, will remain so and prevent the establishment of any current through the combining tubes.

When it is desired to start the injector after it has been operated as a heater, the operator pushes in the stern T which opens the overflow valve and as soon as the water appears at the overflow, all he has to do is to open the main steam valve and the water goes to the boiler. When it is not necessary to use the heater in this manner the link a' will be permanently held in position by the collars 6 and 7, whereby the whole operation will be automatic in its character.

lt will be observed that both the overflowl valves closing under pressure, there is very little liability of leakage and further any leakage taking place will pass directly through the conduit M into the common discharge pipe G and thus, there will be no possibility of the steam at boiler pressure, backing up to cause any break in the continuity of the feeding current, and further, the operating )arts of the valve, being in the common overilow discharge chamber and not under steam pressure, will operate with much greater ease and with less wear on the parts.

The operation of the overflow valves by one stern and their connection with the main spindle enables the whole injector to be operated by a single handle and the adjustable collar connection combined with the independently operable heater valve enables the device to be very quickly and easily turned into a heater for the feed water.

The small heater valve u is of great advantage in saving handling of the main valve, when it is desired to use the injector for heating, and may further, in cold weather, be left open all the time, whereby there will be a constant flow of heating steam into the water. Owing to the size of the main port, it would be impossible to use it for this purpose, without entirely deranging the operation of the whole injector.

hile the invention has been described herein, with great particularity of detail, yet it will be readily understood that in carrying out the construction, certain changes may be made in the details thereof, without materially departing from the spirit of the invention.

that I claim as myl invention is 1. In an injector, the combination with the working chamber having separate forcing and lifting overflow discharge ports, of an auxiliary waste chamber having communication with the working chamber only through the said ports, valves for the ports and an operating mechanism for the valves located outside the working chamber in the waste chamber and having the operating stem thereofextending through the walls of the waste chamber, whereby the said stem and operating mechanism are entirely free from steam and water pressure when the valves are closed.

2. ln an injector, the combination with the working chamber having separate forcing and lifting overflow discharge ports, of an auxiliary waste chamber having communication with the working chamber only through the said ports, Valves for the ports, an operating stem outside the working chamber extending in the waste chamber and through the wall thereof, whereby it may be free from steam or water pressure when the valves are closed, and positive conneoting means between thel stem and the valves, whereby a longitudinal movement of the same actuates the valves.

3. In an injector, the combination with the inlet chamberhaving a main port therein,

through which the steam passes, to both the lifting and forcing nozzles, and also having a smaller auxiliary port through the said walls thereof, and the valve for the main port, of an intermediate chamber separate from the inlet chamber and into which both of the ports communicate, means for placing said chamber in communication with the feed water and a separate auxiliary valve operable from the exterior of the casing adapted to open and close the auxiliary port in the inlet chamber and permit the steam to pass through the port and through the intermediate chamber into the feed water.

Ll. ln an injector, the combination with the casing having lifting and forcing overflow ports, of disk valves closing the same, a common chamber into which said ports are adapted to open, a valve stem journaled in said casing and having inclined portions formed thereon, connecting members hinged to the valve disks and having inclined slots through which the valve stem extends, whereby longitudinal movement of the valve stem will operate the valves, as and for the purpose specified.

5. ln an injector, the combination with the main operating spindle, and the lifting and forcing overflow discharge valves, of a single stem operatively connected to both valves, an arm pivoted to the end of the same having a bifurcated end adapted to extend around the main spindle, and adjustable rings for holding said bifurcated end in position on the spindle, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an injector, the combination with the inlet chamber having a main port therein through which the steam passes to both the Signed at St. John7 in the Province of New lifting and forcing nozzles and also having a Brunswick, this twentieth day of May 1907.

smaller auxiliary port therein through which i i ,Y v the steam may pass to the feed Wzter, of a VILLIAM HENRY S'lIRLNG' valx'fe for the main port and an independ- Titnessesr y ently operable auxiliary valve for the auxil JOHN JOSEPH PORTER,

iaiy port. HELEN PARKER LiTTLEKALE. 

